Students Turn Ideas into Ventures in Tulane's Inaugural Startup Strategy Lab Course

From micro-giving platforms inspired by Tulane's culture of service learning to fashion and lifestyle startups designed around student life, the ventures presented at the inaugural Startup Strategy Lab Pitch Competition shared a common theme: students identifying opportunities through their own lived experiences and the needs of their peers. 

This spring, Tulane students learned to transform ideas into viable ventures through Startup Strategy Lab (SLAM 3915), a new experiential learning course created in partnership between the Tulane Innovation Institute and the School of Liberal Arts' Strategy, Leadership, and Analytics Minor. 

The course, taught by Allyson Joy Heumann, Professor of Practice in the School of Liberal Arts, gave undergraduate students the opportunity to develop business concepts, work alongside mentors, build minimum viable products, compete for a share of $50,000 in funding, and earn three credit hours. 

"From day one, our team was impressed by the students' enthusiasm," said Kimberly Gramm, David and Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer at the Tulane Innovation Institute. "Over the course of the semester, we watched this inaugural class learn, grow, pivot and push forward. They took their ideas and turned them into something tangible. That kind of progress in a single semester is remarkable." 

Heumann said the course was also designed to give students skills that extend beyond entrepreneurship. 

"Startup Strategy Lab challenged students to think creatively, communicate strategically, and solve problems," Heumann said. "Throughout the semester, students developed skills in storytelling, leadership, collaboration, audience engagement, data-driven decision making, and professional presentation, while learning how to assess opportunities and build ventures with value." 

Five finalist teams were selected to compete in the final pitch competition on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the Freeman Auditorium. 

Avi Gorodetski, Catherine MacConnell, Yoav Alperson and Jaret Solomon
 
The $15,000 first-place prize was awarded to GiVV, a social-impact marketplace app designed to connect Tulane students with local nonprofits through micro-donations, social sharing, and campus-based competitions among student organizations and Greek life. The AI data-driven platform aims to engage the next generation of donors while strengthening support for New Orleans nonprofits. 

GiVV team members included Yoav Alperson, a finance major in the A. B. Freeman School of Business and a political economy major in the School of Liberal Arts; Avi Gorodetski, a sociology and social policy and practice major in the School of Liberal Arts; Jaret Solomon, a mathematics and computer science major in the School of Science and Engineering; and Catherine MacConnell, a public health major in the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. 

"We were incredibly grateful and excited to see months of hard work come to life," Gorodetski said. "Tulane students have so much passion for this city, and now we have the opportunity to build a platform that turns that passion into real impact for New Orleans." 

The team attributes much of their growth to the connections and support they received through the Startup Strategy Lab, including mentorship from Kalen Hall of Informuta, Erica Larsen, and Heumann. 

The GiVV team is now preparing to launch the app and establish an LLC. 

Sienna Luttrell, Marjola Demollari and Rachel Hurt

Second place and $12,000 went to Closet Collective, a fashion rental and resale platform that allows college students to rent, buy, and discover event-ready clothing from peers, as well as curated pop-up experiences. The idea was pitched on stage by founders Rachel Hurt, who is a business management major in the A. B. Freeman School of Business, a psychology major in the School of Science and Engineering, and a English major in the School of Liberal Arts; Marjola Demollari, who is a legal studies and business major in the A. B. Freeman School of Business and a political science major in the School of Liberal Arts; and team member Sienna Luttrell, a design major in the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment. 

Sharon Goldsmith, Allyson Joy Heumann, Laura Wild, Charlotte Greer and Reagan Hickey

Third place and $10,000 was awarded to Chark Swimwear, founded by Charlotte Greer, a communications major in the School of Liberal Arts, and pitched with Laura Wild, a psychology major in the School of Science and Engineering, and Reagan Hickey, a political economy major in the School of Liberal Arts and psychology and an early childhood education major in the School of Science and Engineering. The fashion company produces sustainable and affordable swimwear for university-aged consumers and has already gained attention through online sales, pop-up events, retail expansion, and a feature in Vanity Fair. 

Fourth place and $5,000 went to Campus Closet, a fashion resale, rental and trading platform for college students founded by Addison Kopman and Ellen Darku, finance majors in the A. B. Freeman School of Business, and Liv Bialek and Gavin Vogel, communications majors in the School of Liberal Arts. The team also received the competition's $500 Marketing Award for bringing the largest audience to the event. Fifth place and $2,500 went to The Golden Rectangle Club, pitched by Sophie Glantz, a public health major in the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine; JP Deverey, a psychology major in the School of Science and Engineering and philosophy major in the School of Liberal Arts; and Rohan Uzeta and Drew Schwedelson, business majors in the A. B. Freeman School of Business. The venture connects health and wellness brands with college-aged consumers through free fitness classes and experiential brand partnerships.    

JP Deverey said the idea for the Golden Rectangle Club was, "We wanted to build a free, social, outdoor fitness experience for students, and the lesson was that when you build something genuinely for your community, the right partners find their way to you." 

The competing teams reflected the breadth of Tulane's student body, with majors spanning architecture, psychology, English, philosophy, early childhood education, and public health, as well as business and communications, underscoring that entrepreneurship at Tulane is not confined to any one school or discipline. 

The remaining funding from the $50,000 pool supported early-stage prototyping and venture development throughout the semester. 

Judges for the pitch competition included Jennifer Jeansonne of JAJ Consults; Lyle LeBlanc of Scale New Orleans; Evan Nicoll of 1834 Ventures; and Lindsey Roussel of NieuxCo. Judges evaluated the student pitches based on business uniqueness, scalability, team expertise, pitch clarity, and a clear path to revenue. 

"When I signed up for Startup Strategy Lab, I expected a unique experience — what I got far exceeded it," Alperson said. "Through an incredible lineup of speakers, comprehensive hands-on learning, and real-world exposure, this class delivered something I didn't know a classroom could."